The Reading BookWyrm

25 October 2014

So, I've been really negligent lately, and not posting very much (or at all). But, fear not Mom, I have been reading. Even though I don't necessarily post, I do keep a list of what I've read and what I've enjoyed. So here's a few of the best of 2014 so far (in my ever-so-humble opinion).

28 January 2014

I’m new to the awesomeness that is Agatha Christie, so you’ll
have to forgive me if she ends up on here a lot. This one really blew me away
though. It doesn’t matter if you’re casually interested, or honestly trying to
solve the puzzle, this is a great mystery.

This follows a fairly standard Agatha Christie format. There’s
a death in a small town, and wouldn't you just know it, there’s an adorable (if
slightly pompous) detective on hand who will figure it all out. Everyone, and I
do mean everyone, is a suspect. Everyone has a motive. The clues are all there,
but you have to sort them out before Poirot reveals the perfectly obvious solution.

Agatha (yes, we’re on a first name basis now), is fabulous.
She uses your expectations against you, yet she gives you everything she gives
her protagonist, so it’s all fair play. It's a game, can you
catch up to Agatha before she wants you to?

15 January 2014

It’s impossible to say what little things will change the
way you live, or the way you think. For Harold Fry that thing is a letter. It
is a small letter, a short letter. Someone seemingly inconsequential from his
distant past is dying. Suddenly, everything he does seems insufficient, and so,
Harold takes a walk.

I loved this book. The characters and their stories unfold
similarly to real life. We know little bits about who they are at the moment,
but their stories are revealed in bits and pieces along the way and they build
into complex and relatable people.

I have a feeling that this book and I will become great
friends. I know I’ll be back to visit it again.

18 November 2013

I’ve always suspected that Dumas was a bit of a feminist,
because his novels have some of the best women in classic literature. In “The
Count of Monte Cristo” we have Mercedes. She’s the only person who sees past
Edmund’s little charade, and she forces Mr. Angry Eyes to lay off her son. In 19th
century novels, that makes her one badass Mama. Not only that, but in the end
she takes care of herself, better than anyone else took care of her.

Besides all that, we have: betrayal, the world’s most
thorough revenge, and true love. I do realize that it’s a big book, but this
classic is jam-packed with awesomeness. I think it’s time you read it.

03 November 2013

If you’re looking to add just a hint of oddity to your day,
this is the book for you. It’s an eerie collection of short stories from one of
my favorite authors. Each story is vaguely unsettling. Even in small doses, they're strong enough to put you in a new mindset.
They’re clever and sad, perfectly satisfying, and startlingly frustrating. Neil
Gaiman’s writing is hypnotic, and breaking free from one of his short stories
makes reality just a little too crisp.

31 October 2013

November is upon us ladies and gentlemen. And, in a fit of commute inspired boredom and probably some kind of genetic defect, (thanks Dad), I have signed myself up for NaNoWriMo.

That's right, National Novel Writing Month. I will be attempting to write 50, 000 words all strung together so that they actually make sense at the end. I've never been short of words...but this might be pushing it just a bit. Wish me luck.

If you'd like to join my insanity, check out their handy-dandy website.

08 September 2013

I love a good tragedy, and Hugo sure knows how to deliver.
This is a great novel, but it’s one of the few where I will recommend reading
the abridgment. For a first time through, you won’t miss that much. Yea,
you’ll miss the nuances, and maybe a general understanding of the human condition.
But, you’ll also miss a 200 page description of the lives of good nuns. Ok,
maybe it just feels that long. Just save the real deal for when you’re already
in love with the story. Oh, you’ll fall in love with the story.

Here there are no saints, nor characters that you can
totally hate. Each character’s complexity makes them deserving of genuine
attachment on the part of the reader. When you read something at this level of
writing, re-reading is like visiting old friends.

02 September 2013

As it turns out, there is an odd species in a far-off corner
of the galaxy causing trouble; humans. Our no-name narrator is a member of an alien
species, sent to earth to erase all evidence,either human or physical, of a mathematical
breakthrough. This breakthrough, regarding the prime numbers, would give humans more power than they’re capable of
handling responsibly. After his initial horror of the species wears off, the
narrator begins to find quaint things about humanity that are worth giving a
chance.

I haven’t read anything so funny in a long time. Sometimes
it’s nice to see how weird everything really is by exploring it from a fresh
perspective.

13 August 2013

Prince Charming is a bit persnickety, Prince Charming doesn't
have great impulse control, Prince Charming intensely dislikes his fiancee, and
Prince Charming is well…a few bricks short of a wall. Also, Prince Charming is
a title that applies to four, count them, four Princes. After these guys made
their way into the storybooks, they had a lot to live up to. Other than that,
they don’t have a whole lot in common. But, they’re pulled together by chance,
and a few feisty Princesses, and they do their best to be the heroes they’re
supposed to be.

It’s hilarious and heartwarming, and I can hardly wait to
read the sequel.

14 July 2013

The title describes exactly what the book is, and for
someone who loves language as much as I do, this was a must read. Melissa Mohr
delves into the reasons we swear, and why each swear word is considered vulgar.
Vulgarity plays a huge role in how our society perceives the world, and yet,
this is an area that’s so rarely looked at from a scholarly perspective.

The etymology of swear words is much more interesting than
the layperson might think, but it’s also slightly uncomfortable. It’s an
in-depth look at how western culture has viewed the sacred and the profane for
a couple thousand years. Something in there is bound to be a bit touchy for
you. After-all, swears are only words, it’s their connotations that makes
things obscene. And, the reason that we find certain things obscene was
fascinating.